Death Rattlers F-4B: Red Pill

[scott_t]

Back from vacation ....playing catch-up with work and finally working in some bench time.

 

Tail with some paint on there ............ Tamiya Sky Grey base ...... then Tamiya Dark Sea Gray in the panel lines .....followed by MRP Light Gull Grey ..... and MRP Insignia White for the rudder.

 

and .......the marking are going on !!!!  just one side of the tail for now ......other side after this is fully dry.

The wetness at the bottom of the tail is before I Q-Tipped the excess up.

To help the decals slide easier I use some good old spit ......LOL !!!!!

Nothing like a little DNA investment.

 

[scott_t]

Gear doors .....exterior and interior ..... the still need a wash and another clear coat.

 

Using the AOA Decals stencils and markings though there are a few Red Pill decals in there.

I found the Red Pill decals to be super thin ..... to the point that they annoyed me.  :-)

 

 

[geedubelyer]

Fabulous markings 

[scott_t]

First paint pass with MRP Light Gull Grey

 

Base coated with Tamiya Sky Grey ......then panel lines hit with Tamiya Dark Sea Grey

 

Need another pass with MRP Light Gull Grey

 

 

[scott_t]

OK ......put a second coat on, leaving it a little ratty looking, after all, it is a Vietnam war machine !!!

and then since I had the leading edges painted and the flaps, I had to test fit them ......just press-fitted for the pics.

I'm happy with it so far !!!

 

 

[Stokey Pete]

First time I’ve seen one of these being built, and you’re doing a wonderful job of it. 
It looks like a great kit. 

[Out2gtcha]

Looks great!

[scott_t]

Still moving along ....... fitted the cockpit rails and the upper nose piece.

 

 

[scott_t]

Small update ......I think I'm ready to start laying down a few coats of gloss on the top .....bottom is done and then I can start decaling.

 

 

[Out2gtcha]

Looking good!

[scott_t]

23 hours ago, Out2gtcha said:

Looking good!

Thanks Brian !

[DugyB]

I agree it’s looking dang good, looking forward to more of your build, and then also your final assessment and opinion of this monster of a kit from Redpill. 🫡

Edited August 22 by DugyB

[cmayer]

Good catch on eliminating the RHAW antenna on the tail fin, and you have a great build going.

 

Heads up that the fairing under the radome of the Red Pill kit has the longer, fiberglass RHAW antenna cap, as well; which would be a matched-set with the "acorn" on the aft edge of the tail fin: if an airframe didn't have the antenna on the tail, then it likely didn't have it under the nose, either.

 

Most of the photos I can find of -323 aircraft from this era don't have great resolution, but it looks like the majority of them still had the AAA-4 IR sensor mounted in the nose fairing, which is shorter and rounder than the APR-25 RHAW antenna housing. And, if an airframe didn't have the IR sensor, it would have had the aluminum "dummy" cap, which was about 5" shorter than the APR-25 forward antenna radome. 

 

You can see the different proportions and shapes of these fairings in Tommy Thomason's blog, here: https://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2023/06/early-mcdonnell-f-4b-phantom.html

 

The APR-25 RHAW system wasn't really configured on Navy F-4Bs until late 1966/early 1967; and the Marines flying CAS from South Vietnam probably didn't get it until even later than that. 
 

Edited August 22 by cmayer

[scott_t]

Think I have finally gotten to decal time for the airframe. Metal areas for the tail have been dealt with but still may need a touch-up or two as I look at the pics.

 

 

[scott_t]

On 8/22/2026 at 7:37 PM, cmayer said:

Good catch on eliminating the RHAW antenna on the tail fin, and you have a great build going.

 

Heads up that the fairing under the radome of the Red Pill kit has the longer, fiberglass RHAW antenna cap, as well; which would be a matched-set with the "acorn" on the aft edge of the tail fin: if an airframe didn't have the antenna on the tail, then it likely didn't have it under the nose, either.

 

Most of the photos I can find of -323 aircraft from this era don't have great resolution, but it looks like the majority of them still had the AAA-4 IR sensor mounted in the nose fairing, which is shorter and rounder than the APR-25 RHAW antenna housing. And, if an airframe didn't have the IR sensor, it would have had the aluminum "dummy" cap, which was about 5" shorter than the APR-25 forward antenna radome. 

 

You can see the different proportions and shapes of these fairings in Tommy Thomason's blog, here: https://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2023/06/early-mcdonnell-f-4b-phantom.html

 

The APR-25 RHAW system wasn't really configured on Navy F-4Bs until late 1966/early 1967; and the Marines flying CAS from South Vietnam probably didn't get it until even later than that. 
 

Great article !!! Thanks for sharing. I will definitely reference it on my next F-4B .....earlier one ......1965 with the earlier seats.